243 95gr balistic tips

[WPH]

I have some 95 gr bts that I considred loading, and I was looking for some terminal performance feedback at various ranges. I will use the load on deer and coyotes.

 

[FOTIS]

A friend of mine shoots a 243 AI so he is launcing them faster than a 243 Win. We have shot antelope, prairie dogs and other animals. I would put it on par with the 257 cal 100 gr BT. It will do just fine. They do expand at low velocities and I would avoid shoulder shots at close quarters at big mule deer (for example).

 

[Desert Fox]

I load the 95 grain Nosler BT on my 6MM Remington and I remember it shoot's accurately but it lost favor to Hornady 87 grain V-Max.

 

[Accubond Believer]

The ballistic tips work better for coyotes with pelts in mind. The Vmax's do rip a coyote from one end to the other - It doesn't matter what angle you shoot them at. The BT's are marginal on expansion for antelope - I tried last weekend with the 6 AI - If you don't hit a bone they don't open up. Yeah I got the antelope - but I had a Partition next in line for batting cleanup.

Just my two cents.
Steve D. the HP

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

Thats the first time I've heard of a BT not opening up enough. BT's are not pelt minded bullets either. I dont ever remember shooting a coyote that I could save with a btip through it. Vmax are a little more explosive on average, but they are what they are, a varmint bullet.

 

[Guy Miner]

The 95 grain ballistic tips are the most accurate bullet I've tried in my little old 6mm Remington.

As far as terminal performance on deer, they're great! As an example my son shot his first deer, a good sized mule deer, at about 275 yards. The bullet slashed open her heart, blew a large hole through her lungs and smashed through the off-side front leg, shattering the bone on exit.

Needless to say, she collapsed instantly, and was dead when we got to her.

Very quick clean kill. Exactly what I've come to expect from the ballistic tips.

Regards, Guy

 

[Guest]

I would be curious to find out how the BT performs at 243Win velocities under 150yds. I have a 243 as well, and hunt here in the southeast where ranges are shorter generally speaking than out west. Anybody have experience at closer ranges?

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

If its impacting over 3000fps, be wise with your placement. Take a head or neck shot if its under 150-100 yards. Btips are not a short range bullet, period. It really irritates me when people use the wrong bullet for the job, or wrong placement for the situation for that matter. A 95g btip would still surely kill the deer under 150 yards, its just a matter of hitting heavy bone that close which is why I would shoot for head or neck that close. Btips really start to shine in my opinion when the range is 200 yards or more. If your hunting is done mainly inside that distance, it would be wise to probly shoot a differen't bullet. That way when you wack a deer in shoulder at 50 yards and it only breaks that shoulder and lack of penetration, we wont be hearing about how the btip didn't perform and it just blew up. Btips work wonderfull when used within there parameters.

 

[WPH]

I also have 100 gr Hornady flat base bullets but am not sure on their performance on coyotes. Also I have 85 Sierra Pro Hunters and 87 Hornady spfb's but think they are a poor choice on deer.

The ranges I shoot could range from 20 to 300 yards on both animals.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I would say that if you dont wanna make/take head or neck shots at 100 yards or less, then you would probly be better served using a Partition. They work great from the muzzle to 600 yards.

 

[WPH]

My ideal deer load would be a 95 Partition, and my ideal coyote load would be a 80 balistic tip. However I am broke currently and I am going to load something I have.

 

[Larry in SD]

I have a 22" Ruger KM77RFP MKII in .243. Last year I took 3 Whitetails with 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips loaded with H-4350 to a muzzle velocity of 3071 FPS. This is the most accurate Bullet / Load I have shot to date in this particular .243.

All 3 Whitetails shot last year were one shot kills. A 3 were shot through the chest behind the front shoulder (well on the one the very rear of the on side fron shoulder was clipped). All 3 Whitetails had exit wounds about the size of a 25 cent piece, and I never found any evidence of bullet break up what so ever.

One Whitetail took a single leap at the shot and was found stone dead about 10 feet from where it was standing when shot. One Whitetail dropped in its tracks and the 3rd ran a very short distance (maybe 30 yards).

When I decided to try the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips I was looking for a bullet that would impart more shock to the animal than the 100gr. Sierra Spitzer Boat Tails I had been using. Granted every Whitetail I shot with the 100gr. Sierras was a one shot kill, it was just that they would sprint from 100 to 200 yards after the shot. and at times get into heavy cover as I hunt the cut meadows in a dried up lake bottom.

So far the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips in my Ruger .243 have done everything I expected of them. 5 shot groups at 100 yards from the bench run between 1/2" to 3/4", and I was pleased with the velocity I obtained from my 22" Ruger. If you guessed I will be using the 95gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips again this November you are right.

Larry

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

If I was using my moms 243 for deer, I would use the 95g btip because there my favorite bullets. They also put deer down like lightning. However, sierra gamekings also work decently well and are cheap, accurate, and have a pretty high BC. They are not a premium bullet however and should be treated as so. Hey I know what kinda boat your in about being broke and shooting/loading something you already have. If I was you, with the bullets you listed, that Hornady 100g flat base would kill deer to 300 yards. The flat base will help keep the expansion down a little as compared to a boat tail. If those 85g sierras you have are the hollow point boat tail gameking version, I have read a lot of people having great success on deer with that bullet. Good luck and let us know how everything turns out.

 

[Guest]

For Larry in SD, do you mind letting me know what your starting and max charge were for the 4350 you used with those 95gr BT's? I have a can of H4350 on the shelf, and have been considering it for my 243. Did you follow the load data on the front of the can for 100gr and just work it up with 95's, or did you get into some other Hodgdon data from their website or annual manual? I am definitely curious about this, as I load for a Browning BAR and will likely not get the same velocity as bolt guns, so I don't think I will exceed the max velocity for BT's with it. I appreciate your help on this. I am experimenting with some Barnes XLC's right now, but I got them cheap, and won't be able to justify the cost to replace them unless they are just sterling in accuracy.

 

[ccoker]

I have tried the 95g ballistic tips and just about all the 243 rounds out there on Texas Whitetail

you don't need a premium bullet, an 80 or 100g softpoint will kill em dead all day long if you put the bullet where it needs to go..

Federal loads run about 10-12 bucks a box and will do 1/2 groups with my old Sako